Solitaire
May, 2005
“That one’s a house!”
“Good.” Maria holds up another flashcard. “And what’s this one?”
“Boat!”
“Ah, but what kind?”
Diamond Tiara looks at the triangle on top. “Sailboat.”
“And what color is it?”
“White and red,” announces the filly. She points at Maria. “Like your earrings!”
“It sure is. Very good job, Diamond Tiara.” She gives the little pony’s ears a scratch. “You’re pretty good at this.”
But Diamond isn’t listening. (She already knows she’s smart and good at flashcards.) Her ears twitch at the sound of Lucy’s heels pacing back and forth in the hall downstairs. It’s a tense little clip-clip-clip, the way it sounds when Lucy’s upset about something.
The filly’s ears twitch again. Lucy’s talking to someone on the phone downstairs. She’s trying to be quiet, but the high ceiling throws the echoes up to the second floor and if Diamond listens closely, she can hear from her room.
“Yeah, I know. I know—you know what? Whatever, this isn’t about that… Dammit Brian, would you just shut up and listen for once? No, it can’t wait.”
Why would Lucy want to talk to Brian? Brian just makes her upset.
“Just lemme ask you something. Where did you get my pony? Really.”
“Now, what’s this picture, Diamond?”
The filly glances at the card, but she’s not really looking at it. Her ears start to droop as Lucy’s voice rises.
“Don’t lie to me, Brian!...Yes, you are! You SO are. I looked it up and asked some people and there is no such thing as a teacup pony.”
“Diamond Tiara?”
“Because! No, I don’t care how much you spent, that’s no—okay, you know what? Maybe you wouldn’t have had anything to make up for if you weren’t fooling around with Amber in the first place.”
Lucy’s clip-clip-clip goes to a stomp-stomp-stomp.
“Just answer me. Where did you get the—”
“Diamond!” Maria snaps her fingers a few inches from the filly’s nose. “Are you feeling okay? What’s the matter?”
“Um. Nothing.” The filly shuffles her hooves and looks back at the card. “That’s a box. It’s brown, like a log.”
Lucy’s moved into another room and shut the door behind her. Diamond Tiara can’t hear what she’s saying anymore.
November, 2005
“But why?”
“Diamond, I told you why twice already. It’s a secret.”
The filly sulks in the Prada bag as Lucy buckles the seatbelt for her. They haven’t been out for a real shopping trip since wintertime. It’s been forever since she’s even left the house. Diamond’s been so excited for today and then it has to go and get ruined because she can’t talk.
It doesn’t make any sense. Lucy seemed so excited when she first started talking. They talk to each other all the time now, and it makes everything a lot easier. Instead of pointing and waiting until somebody sees, now Diamond can just say what she wants and then she gets it. Or she says what she doesn’t want and doesn’t get it.
Sometimes, with things like bedtime or eating alfalfa, she has to tell Lucy a lot and very loudly to get what she wants, but she always comes around for Diamond. And how could she not?
But today, no matter how many times Diamond tells Lucy what she wants, Lucy won’t budge. It’s really annoying.
“But I practiced, Lucy!” She wiggles her shoulders out of the bag, so she can see better. “I worked really hard with my cards, even the ones without pictures and now I don’t need ‘em anymore. I read you that book about the cat with the hat, remember? Lucy, you remember?”
“I remember.”
“I thought you liked when I talked. How come you don’t want me to talk anymore?”
“You can,” Lucy sighs, “just not around people.”
“Maria and you are people.”
“I mean besides us.”
Diamond Tiara twists up her face. It’s not fair. She was planning to read all the store signs for Lucy and now she can’t.
“But whyyyyyyyyyy?” Diamond’s practically spilling out of the Prada as she kicks her little forelegs. “I have a beautiful voice, listen: we belong to-ge-therrrr,” she croons in perfect pitch with the lady on the radio.
“Look, it’s because you…” Lucy glances at Diamond, then back at the road. “You’ll… make them jealous. Like, really jealous.”
The filly blinks. “So?” That never mattered before.
“Well, it’s not very nice to make people jealous.”
Diamond Tiara wrinkles her nose. That doesn’t seem like a good reason at all. “I don’t like it…’snot fair.”
“That’s just how it is, Di. Look, it’ll still be fun, right? Same as always, just no talking. I’ll get you an ice cream, okay?”
The filly pouts.
“And a toy.”
“Okaaaay,” Diamond sighs. It isn’t, though.
March, 2006
“You’re going already?”
“Yep.”
“Are you sure I can’t come?”
“Oh, maybe next time, princess. I’ll be back soon.”
“Before I go to bed?”
“We’ll see. Kiss-kiss, my pretty little Diamond. I’ll bring you back something nice, okay?”
“Okay.”
September, 2006
The worst word in the whole world is No. It’s all Diamond Tiara ever hears anymore.
No, you can’t talk in public.
No, you need to go to bed and see Lucy in the morning.
No, you can’t go to the party.
No, put that down.
No, don’t jump around the house.
No, I have to go.
No, you can’t come.
No, you have to stay here.
No, you’re too big to fit in the purse.
That last one is new. Diamond pointed out that she didn’t mind walking, but Lucy said no anyways and now she has to stay inside.
Inside is stupid. Stupid and boring. Lucy always brings backs lots of cool stuff to make up for it, but just getting stuff at home isn’t as fun.
Maria comes over when the big hand is on the six and the little hand is on the ten. She joins Diamond at the big window in the den. Maria asks if Diamond wants to paint or play dress up or look at books.
Diamond Tiara stays where she is, curled up by the window. She gives Maria the same answer every time: “No.”
February, 2007
The alarm clock bounces off the wall and hits the floor with a clang. One, two, three pillows go flying next, bowling over Dreamhouses and tea sets. The plush throw rugs flip over themselves and elegant end tables topple.
It’s a huge mess Maria will just make her clean up later. Lucy’s going to complain. Diamond Tiara doesn’t care. Let her complain. Whatever, who cares what dumb Lucy says? “It’s not like she cares what I think. It’s not fair, this is so lame!”
The little pony’s warpath crashes through a pile of blankets, where she discovers a pig doll the size of a watermelon. It’s wearing a little white coat and a stethoscope around its neck. She holds it up and gives an appraising glare.
Dr. Truffles was Diamond’s favorite present last Christmas. When you squeeze his hoof, he oinks.
The filly snorts. She wraps her hooves around his neck and just shakes him and shakes him and shakes him.
“Oink-oink!” the toy squeals. “Diagnosis: I love you!”
Diamond Tiara throws Dr. Truffles at the door and screeches until her face is purple and her throat hurts.
“This is my house! I can do whatever I want, and nobody’s gonna stop me!” She tugs and twists the doorknob again, just in case it’s opened somehow. It hasn’t.
Kicking the door doesn’t do anything but hurt her hoof, so she throws shoes at it instead. The sound of Mary Janes and rain boots (why does she even have rainboots if she never goes outside? Stupid.) smacking the wood is satisfying, but not enough.
Diamond flips a checkerboard as she prowls her room for something else to punish. She rounds on a pink heap by the bookshelf and rolls it over, prepared to kick it into next week.
It’s Dr. Truffles. He’s missing one of his eyes and stuffing’s spilling from a tear in his nose. Oh no…. But maybe he’s still okay? Just press his hoof like always and…
“Diiiiagggg-diag-no-nossssssiiiizzzzz….” And he doesn’t say any more.
Diamond’s throat gets tight. She can feel hot tears welling up, but she wipes them on Truffles’ coat. His remaining button eye sadly glimmers at her.
“Quit making me feel bad, you’re the doctor around here. Fix your eye yourself.” Diamond grabs him up by the collar. “Maybe if you weren’t talking all the time, maybe you wouldn’t make me so mad. You started this. Whoever heard of a talking pig anyway?”
The pig stares at her.
“Yeah? Well maybe I want someone else to be with, Doctor!”
Dr. Truffles’ coat flutters in the ceiling fan’s breeze.
“Ugh, that is SO like you, Doctor. Well, you know what?”
Diamond grabs Truffles’ floppy ear in her teeth and drags him to the closet. “If you’re gonna act that way, you can just go to your room. Nobody wants you here anyway!”
The filly stomps and looks away from the sad heap of pig, lonely in the dark. ...Dr. Truffles looks sad all by himself.
Diamond sniffs and shakes her mane away from her face. He doesn’t deserve it, but she gives Truffles a hug. Her face buries in his soft fur and hugs as hard as she can. She didn’t really mean to hurt him.
“This is all Aaron’s fault,” she whispers.
Aaron is the worst, but he’s all Lucy seems to talk about anymore. He’s why Lucy doesn’t come home until after Diamond’s asleep. He’s why Lucy doesn’t want to play or go shopping anymore. And Aaron’s why Diamond wasn’t allowed to talk outside her room tonight, in her own house.
So when Lucy wasn’t looking, Diamond “accidentally” knocked the jar of roses into Aaron’s lap and got water all over his tacky leather pants. It was hilarious.
“It was supposed to make him leave.” The filly leans her head on Dr. Truffles and sighs. Lucy was supposed to laugh at him too, not yell at Diamond and lock her in her room.
“Everything stinks.”
August, 2007
It’s been a while since Diamond’s been in Lucy’s room. But then, it’s been a while since she’s had a reason.
It’s the prettiest room in the house, bigger than the reading room and the game room and the study put together. Just like Diamond’s room, there’s a bathroom and a walk-in closet, though Lucy’s are bigger. The walls are the pretty blue of swimming pools, with yellow and white curlicues along the border.
The stereo system pipes music from all corners of the room, some country song about smashing stuff. Diamond glances around and hums. She could hear the music all the way down the hallway, and that can only mean…
She noses open the closet door and grins. “Hey, Lucy!” She flinches as the echo bounces off the walls. That was louder than she meant…
Lucy doesn’t seem to mind, though. She glances over her shoulder, arms full of capris and tank tops. “Hi, Diamond.”
“I thought you were going to the beach today.”
“Nah, Bethany had to cancel.” She absently runs her fingers through her hair. This month, it’s dyed a pretty yellowy brown, like an autumn leaf. Or maybe that’s the color it always was. Diamond’s not sure. “They say it’s supposed to rain today, so I figured I’d go ahead and start cleaning out my closet. Never too early to plan for fall.”
Lucy places the capris on a stack in the corner, along with the miniskirts and shorts. “You wanna help me?”
Diamond blinks at the towers of clothes surrounding her. “How?”
“Check out the bottom shelves and root out the summer stuff from last year.”
“When everybody was wearing scarves and those ugly shoes with all the holes?” The filly holds a slingback strap of one of the culprits in her teeth.
“Yeah, just go and put ‘em in their piles.”
“Okay.” Diamond digs into the shelves, scooping out the other Croc shoe and a pair of wedge sandals.
Lucy makes some small talk about the weather and what she’s going to wear tomorrow, but it’s more like she’s talking to herself, all low and quiet. She keeps running her hands through her hair and when she glances at Diamond Tiara, it’s for a second before looking away. Like she’s nervous or something. Or confused. It’s the same look she gets with bills and exes.
Diamond tosses a newsboy cap on the pile. “What’s the matter? Did Aaron break up with you?” She flicks her tail and humphs. “I knew he was a butt.”
“Just boring Lucy stuff. And he is not a butt.”
“Is too.”
Lucy rolls her eyes. “Think black will be in this year?”
“Probably.” Diamond shrugs and categorizes the ballet flats. “Black’s in every year. Blue’s s’posed to come back. The kind that goes with my eyes?”
Hidden somewhere in the racks of clothes, Lucy chuckles. “Don’t worry, I didn’t forget you. Your stuff is coming too.”
The filly’s head jerks up. “Does that mean we can go shopping?”
“I thought you could pick something out online.” She’s playing with her hair again. “You don’t really need to go out to shop.”
Diamond Tiara sighs. Then sighs louder, just in case nobody heard her.
“Come on, Di.” Lucy digs deeper into the racks, though Diamond could have sworn she’d gone through that one already. “What’s so great about going out to the mall anyway? Fighting all those crowds and stuff, ew.”
Diamond hunches her shoulders and tosses out a scarf. Fighting crowds was the best part. When you beat somebody to a sale or got the last exclusive sweater, it was like winning. Winning is awesome. Getting it online’s like buying a trophy.
Most of the old clothes are cleared out now, just a floppy hat left. But there’s something behind the hat…something shiny. Real shiny, like jewelry, but why would there be jewelry in the closet and not the shelves?
It takes a bit of digging before she finds it. A big glass box and in it is a little platinum crown, diamond-studded and sparkly as a star. It sits on a gold and white sash that reads Buchanan High Senior Prom 2001.
And there, in back, it’s a picture of Lucy! She looks a little younger and her hair’s totally different, but it’s definitely her. The little plaque below her (and Brian, gross!) says so.
“Lucy! Lucyyyyy!” The filly pushes it to the center of the closet so Lucy can see. “You never told me you were a queen!”
Does that mean Diamond Tiara really is a princess? Princesses were stuck in fancy castles all the time in movies, so maybe that’s the real reason she can’t go anywhere. It all adds up!
But then Lucy laughs and says, “Don’t I wish!”
Diamond frowns. “But the picture says so. And pics don’t lie.”
“Di, I wasn’t a real queen, just prom queen. For high school, see?” She kneels down to point at Puke Face Brian. “And they voted Brian as King.”
“You don’t vote for kings.”
Lucy smirks. “You do in America.” She flips the lid open and slides out the photo so Diamond can see the whole thing. There’s so many people in the background, laughing and dancing. In the photo, Lucy’s smile is big and white as she cries happy tears. “Man, that was a beautiful night. Whole school was there.”
Diamond grins. “You mean you really went to high school? Like they do on TV?”
“Yep.”
The little pony’s eyes get huge. “Wow…” It’s even better than being a regular queen. In high school, there’s loads of people, but only the best kind of people are on top. Everybody loves them because they’re so pretty and smart and nobody ever makes them stay inside all day. And they got tiaras too?
“So… you got this because they voted.” Diamond taps her hoof on the glass. “Everyone decided you were the best.”
“Something like that. But we gotta get back to this closet.”
Diamond Tiara sits quietly, watching as the case is pushed back in the dark.
“Hey Diamond, you think I should keep this cloche hat? I don’t think it works with my hair…”
The pony doesn’t answer. She taps her hoof on the carpet, deep in thought.
It’s clear by now that Diamond’s not going to get what she wants by asking for it. Not anymore. Lucy’s gotten good at saying no. And tantrums just make Lucy go away and not want to talk at all.
Diamond Tiara walks back to her room with new resolve. It’s time for a plan. She’ll have to be patient and it might get ugly. But it’ll be worth it. Oh, it’ll be so worth it.
January, 2008
“Maria, may I please help you with the dusting?”
“…Why?”
“I just want to help. I already made my bed and put away all my toys, so you don‘t have to help me do it.”
“You did that?”
“Of course!”
“Who are you and what have you done with the real Diamond Tiara?”
May, 2008
Maria frowns. “Diamond, there are other things to do around the house.”
The filly shakes her head. “No there’s not, all the chores are finished.”
“I mean there are other fun things for us to do instead. We could play chess or Monopoly. You love Monopoly.”
“No, thank you.” Diamond Tiara points to the DVD on the high shelf. “I want that.”
Maria sighs, “You’ve seen that seven times this week. And it’s only Wednesday.”
“Please?”
“Niña, isn’t there anything else you want to watch? Look, what about this instead?” Maria holds it in front of her, smiling like a game show host. “Look, this one has colorful ponies like you. And there’s music.”
The filly lifts an eyebrow, “But do they sing?”
“Well, no…”
“Do they play basketball?”
“No, but—”
“No thank you, Maria. I would like that one, instead.” Diamond smiles politely.
The maid rubs her temples. “Ay, Diamond. Fine, fine. But I’m not singing this time.”
“Aw, but Mariaaaaaa. You gotta sing the other parts. I can’t sing to myself, that would be weird. You can just sing five songs.”
“I will sing one song.”
“Four.”
“Two.”
“Three.”
“…Deal. But Maria is not dancing.”
The maid puts her hands on her hips. “No. I have been on my feet all day and I am tired. No dancing.”
“Oh, alright. But you are singing, right?”
Maria nods and groans as she slides in the High School Musical DVD. If she’s lucky, maybe Diamond Tiara won’t make her watch the sequel…but she doesn’t bet on it.
August, 2008
“Look, Lucy! I arranged all your classic Vogue issues and picked shoes for your outfit tomorrow. I got three pairs you can choose from, and they’re the same colors for the party theme, see?” Diamond puffs out her chest and smiles.
Lucy smiles back and strokes her ears. “That’s really sweet of you, princess!” She pauses, “You still can’t come to the party, though…”
The filly swishes her tail. It’s elegantly coiffed and curled. Maria’s said that lately, Diamond Tiara’s done all the grooming and primping herself with no help. And she’s been doing chores.
She must be really bored. Maybe for her birthday next month (a date they picked out of a hat), Lucy will get her an Xbox and Rock Band. It’s something they can all play together and Diamond likes singing.
“Oh, that’s alright. I don’t mind staying behind.” Diamond’s smile is as bright as her voice. …Has she been practicing?
At the back of the room, Maria looks up as she’s packing to go. She looks at the pony but says nothing.
“By the way, have I mentioned how amazing you look in that outfit? You are so ready for next season. Oh, and that bob haircut? So bold!” Diamond winks. “Very Lucy.”
Lucy exchanges looks with Maria and smiles. “Thank you, Di. That’s sweet to say.”
“Oh, but it’s true! Also, did I mention I brushed my teeth without anybody telling me for eight months straight? I just thought I’d mention it.”
Maria zips up her coat and crosses her arms. “Alright, Miss Diamond Tiara. What do you want?”
“Wh—Maria!” The filly clasps her hooves to her chest. “What makes you think I want something?”
Maria gives a flat stare.
“But now that you mention it…” Diamond Tiara turns to Lucy, fluttering her lashes. “My birthday is coming up.”
Maria nods. “And there’s the other shoe.”
Diamond Tiara takes a deep breath and sits, straightening her back to look at them like the perfect little pony she is. A year of prep, work, and research has all come down to this moment. You got this, Diamond!
Her voice is high and firm, so no word can be mistaken. “Lucy, I want to go to school.” Diamond smiles, closes her eyes, and tilts her ears to catch that beautiful sound of “yes”.
She waits a few seconds. Then a few more.
Silence.
She looks from Lucy to Maria, who are looking at each other as if they don’t understand what’s been said.
“I want to go to school!” Diamond says again. Maybe they didn’t hear.
Lucy bites her lip. She plays with her bracelets and stares at Maria with pleading eyes. Fix this.
Maria shakes her head. It’s not her pony to tell.
“What’s wrong?” Diamond Tiara frowns. “What did I for—oh! I forgot the ‘please’. I would like to go to school, please.”
Lucy sighs.
Diamond’s ears droop.
“Princess…honey, you gotta understand…”
Tightness grips Diamond’s chest. “What’s to understand? I did everything right, didn’t I? Yeah, I got water on the floor that one time I took care of the plants, but I helped Maria clean up. I’ve been really good, Lucy!”
But Lucy’s not looking at her.
“I have! I didn’t cry or fuss, not even when you got me got the wrong kind of hat at Christmas. I haven’t cried or complained that much, right? I-I’ve been good, haven’t I?”
Silence.
“Haven’t I?!”
“You know, Di, Maria and me already teach you things. We could order textbooks and have class at home.” Lucy shrugs and smiles. “It’s just as good, right?”
“That is not school. There are people in schools. More than two and I want to go there, not here.”
“Yes, people. Not ponies.” Lucy plays with her charm bracelet. It makes little clinking sounds. “Ponies can’t go to school.”
“Why?”
Lucy opens her mouth, then closes it. “Hey, you can get lots of other cool stuff for your birthday, right?”
Both women brace, ready for the tornado of tantrums boiling behind the filly’s eyes. Maria’s ready to catch a thrown object any second.
But Diamond Tiara doesn’t throw anything.
She doesn’t scream. She doesn’t cry. She doesn’t even raise her voice.
“You could have just said no.”
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I think Diamond may have gotten the wrong impression of what School is like. (THANKS DISNEY!)
It can go anywhere from here. The heartache. ><
See you next update!
I really hope this doesn't go in a Flowers in the Attic direction. Also Lucy really needs to beat the truth out of Brian.
Hope you managed to submit it in time!
I'll be rooting for ya! :D
That ending was harsh, Diamond. Yeesh.
5545857
I think you replied to the wrong comment.
I just noticed that.
Patchwork pls
5550195 Can you blame her? The little filly just had her hopes dashed...
Diamond Tiara can be a harsh mistress.
I can't rightly blame Diamond for throwing a tantrum. When she was little and cute and relatively naive she went everywhere with her mistress and now that she is older, more independent, and fully aware of her surrounding she has been confined to a house. It's quite cruel when you think about it. Diamond is not a dog but she is being treated like one at a time when new experiences are crucial to her development as an intelligent being. She has done nothing wrong and yet she is a prisoner.
5666731 more then that it's not what Diamond wants that has her heart broken it's what she NEEDS. She isnt a dumb animal, she needs stimulus and companionship. Instead Lucy is treating her like a dog but she has no choice. Who knows what could happen if the public see's a talking pony?
Man, this is the first time I really feel for Diamond Tiara as a character across the multi verse of fics I've encountered, the 'ficial comics, and the show canon!
Good job Patchwork!
5539034
And thus, "Thanks Disney!" became the new "Thanks Obama!"
This is one of those fics that can make you feel for Diamond Tiara. Here, her brattiness is completely justified.
Apparently It's my fault.
6495745
Everything is.
*giggles* Don't think I didn't see this little cameo from The Silver Standard here!